Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Blogging Against Sexism

"Withough even knowing about it, tomorrow is Blog Against Sexism Day, I blogged about it on Sunday. If you have nothing to write about tomorrow, go ahead and give us your point of view on this very real issue that affects our world. Wether American culture trying to make Barbies out of our young girls, or woman being reduced to being property on some place in the world."

I replied on his site, got a little long-winded and accidently hijacked the post. Sorry, Logtar :) Here's my comment:

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Interesting topic, and one of those that’s so over-reaching it’s good sometimes to come at it from the beginning.

First of all, what exactly is meant by “making Barbies out of our young girls”? Does that mean the media and commercials and toys push the girly-girl stuff on young women as they grow? Some girls are very feminine when they’re young, some are very tomboy-ish. As they grow they may stay that way or switch back and forth. I think it depends on their nature and the how much influence the mom is on that type of girl-lifestyle. If the mom’s really feminine it will influence the daughter in some ways. If the mom’s not so feminine, it will influence them in other ways. Either way I don’t think the culture has a whole lot to do with it.

…Or does it mean they’re being taught the “Barbie” persona, in that girls should stay cute, stay quiet, and use their looks to get ahead in life? I don’t really think that’s such a cultural norm that resistance to it is futile - with or without parental influence one way or the other. I think however the parents decide to raise their girl is the way she’ll be raised.

Bottom line - culture and media has less to do with how kids turn out than we think it does. Parents just are willing to cede their control to the culture, and give up a lot of the nurturing and shaping of their children’s culture. It always is and always will be ultimately up to the parents how much popular culture affects their children, and if they turn out to be subservient Barbies or oversexed vixens, don’t blame MTV. Blame mom and dad....